Benham. — On Earthworms. 133 



•of preclitellian region. (Beddard found it only extending as 

 far as the 16th segment.) 



Genital Pores. — The usual " porophores " exist on seg- 

 ments 17 and 19, and are very distinct papillae. The ordi- 

 nary ventral chaetae are here absent ; but both are present on 

 the 18th segment, and the "spermatic groove" passes out- 

 side them. The two pairs of sperm athecal pores have the 

 usual position. The ventral surface of the body on segments 7 

 to 10 is much swollen, and paler than the rest. On the 10th 

 segment is a pair of large " tubercula pubertatis," or papillae, 

 surrounding the ventral chaetae (ab) of each side ; each is 

 slightly cupped, and the two nearly meet one another. These 

 were present on each of the two individuals. (Beddard's 

 specimens appear to have been somewhat abnormal.) 



Nephridiopores in line with chaeta c. 



Internal Anatomy. 



Vascular System. — The dorsal vessel is duplicated up to the 

 11th segment at least, and the last heart is in the 13th segment. 



Alimentary Tract. — The gizzard is absent. The oesophagus 

 is suddenly dilated in the 16th segment, and both in this and 

 the next has whitish walls, with a few longitudinal ridges 

 within ; these lamellae can be traced forwards, becoming more 

 numerous in 15 and 14, where they become irregular, and take 

 an oblique direction ; they increase in size and irregularity in 

 segments 13, 12, and 11, till they considerably reduce the 

 lumen. From the 17th segment the oesophagus contiuues 

 backwards, unconstricted, through the 18th and 19 ch seg- 

 ments, to pass into the intestine in the 20th segment, where 

 the gut has now thin walls without any folds. Beddard 

 states that "the intestine appears to begin in the 17th seg- 

 ment." In this I believe he is mistaken : the structure of 

 the oesophagus and the intestine is sufficiently distinct in 

 sections to allow me to state that the intestine commences 

 in the 20th segment, after which it is sacculated. 



Reproductive System. — The two pairs of testes have the 

 normal position ; they and the funnels are " free." There are 

 two pairs of lobulated sperm-sacs in segments 11 and 12. The 

 spermiducal glands I find to be large, with a narrow duct. 

 The penial chaetae are very delicate, ornamented, as Beddard 

 states, with " scattered triangular tubercles, rounded at the 

 tip " ; but he overlooked the fact that the chaetae are hooked 

 at the end. I find three, or even four, couples of penial 

 chaetae in each sac. The spermathecae are pyriforrn sacs, 

 each with a long, thick, muscular duct about equal to the 

 length of the sac. The sac and its duct are bent at an angle, 

 and at this point there enter a couple of small oval diverticula, 

 one on each side of the duct. 



